Life-boat.



S. MACKIEWIGZ.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED IEB. 6, 1014.

Patented May 12, 1914.

altozucq COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO" WASHINGTON. D. C.

STANISLAW MACKIIEWICZ, F SCOTTDALE, WEST VIRGINIA.

LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Application filed February 6, 191-4. Serial No. 816,935.

'1 b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Srnnxsmw Mackin- \vIoz, a subject of the Emperor of Russia, residing at Scottdale, in the county of Marion and State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats, of which the t'ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improved constructions in life boats and especially to that class of such devices which are propelled by hand operated motors.

An object of the invention is the provision of a his boat having added efficiency both in the maintenance of its stability and seaworthiness as well as its capacity for rendering assistance to drowning persons.

A further object is the provision of a laterally shiftable ballast member easily adjustable within the life boat.

A still further object is to provide a life boat cover or canopy and also to provide exterior hand rails having an intermediate cork collar entirely surrounding the hull of the boat.

A still further object is to provide a hand crank means for actuating the boat propeller readily operable by the occupant of the boat.

lVith these general objects in View and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood. the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device with the canopy removed. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken upon line 33 of Fig. 2 with the canvas canopy in position. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the hand crank mechanism for operating the propeller, and Fig. 5 is a vertical central sectional view through the shifting ballast member taken upon line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the life boat is illustrated with a hull provided with the gunwale 1i marginally surrounding the same. Extending from stem to stern there is provided a bowed or arched support 12 for stretching thereover the canvas canopy 13 having its edges provided with eyelets to be engaged over the hook members let positioned within the gunwale of the boat, while openings or windows 15 are provided through the canopy as desired.

The life boat is steered by means of a rudder 16 which is manipulated by the tiller 17 A propeller 18 is employed for imparting motion to the lite boat either ahead or astern depending upon the direction in which the propeller is revolved by means of the crank arms 19 which are positioned within the boat. Said crank arms being keyed to the shaft 20, the latter is revolved thereby which power is communicated by means of the sprocket chain 21 and the beveled gears 22 and 23 to the propeller shaft 24 in a manner that will be at once apparent. Such propulsion power is supplied by one or more of the occupants of the boat. stationed upon either of the thwarts 25 or 26. Exteriorly of the hull and positioned thereon slightly below the line of the gunwale are provided two hand rails 27 slightly spaced apart and positioned in parallelism mounted upon the projecting brackets 28 which are secured to the outer side of the boat. A Strip or layer of cork 29 is cured to the hull between said hand rail brackets and extends circumterentially ot' the boat. A shiftable weight 30 constituting a ballast member for maintaining the equilibrium of the boat and serviceable in a. high wind or during a storm. when the boat is liable to heel to one side and also to counterbalance an uneven loading of the cargo or passengers within the boat.

Two supporting bars 31 are arranged in vertical alinement transversely within the boat and at substantially midway of the length thereof, the upper one of said bars having notches 52 on the top thereof as well as having the weight 30 slidably mounted thereon with said upper bar extending through a passage 33 transversely of said weight. A detent 34 vertically movable is positioned in a top socket 35 ot the weight being preferablydownwardly spring pressed and adapted upon a. shifting of the weight in either direction to engage one of the notches 82 and thereby lock the weight stationary. Rollers 36 having vertical axles 37 are journaled in said weight and adapted to bear upon opposite sides of the upper bar 3] during the sliding of the weight thereon,

while other rollers 38 having horizontal axles 39 are journaled within the bottom slot 40 of the weight and move upon the top edge of the lower bar 31 during a shifting of the weight.

The complete operation of the device will be at once apparent from the above detailed description in that the boat being provided with the canvas canopy is steered by means of the rudder and propelled by the occupants thereof manipulating the crank arms.

. The cork layer 29 assists in giving stability to the hull while the surrounding hand rails 28 may be grasped by a large number of persons in the water for both preventing drowning as well as for their assistance in entering the boat from the water. The ballast weight laterally shiftable is positioned at any of the notches 32 depending upon the conditions of the cargo and the elements.

While the forms of the invention herein shown and described are what are believed to be preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, proportion and details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A life boat comprising a hull, transverse bars positioned thereacross in vertical alinement with each other, the upper one of said bars being provided with open notches, a ballast weight having a passage therethrough with said upper bar extending through said passage, a detent carried by said weight and adapted tor engaging said notches, and rollers carried by said weight and mounted upon said bars.

The con'ibination with a propeller driven life boat, of a shiftable ballast weight positioned therein, vertically alining transverse bars upon which said weight is mountedlocking means carried by the latter adapted for adjustable engagement with one of said bars, supporting and positioning rollers journaled in said weight and engaging said bars. V

3. A life boat comprising a hull, transverse bars positioned therein substantially midway of its length and in vertical alinement, the upper one of said bars being provided. with top notches, a shiftable ballast member having a bottom slot adapted for the reception of the lower one of said bars and also provided with a transverse passage bars, vertically positioned rollers trunnioned in said slot and mounted upon said lower bar, horizontally positioned rollers journaled in said member and projecting within said passage and engaging said upper bar and locking means for said member.

4-. A life boat comprising a hull, transverse bars positioned therein substantially midway of its length and in vertical alinevided with top notches, a shiftable ballast member having a bottom slot adapted for the reception of the lower one of said bars and also provided with a transverse passage adapted to receive the upper one oi said bars, vertically positioned rollers trunnioned in said slot and mounted upon said lower in said member and projecting within said passage and engaging said upper bar, said ballast member having a vertically extend ing bore in the top thereof a detent ver ically slidable within said bore and adapted for adjustable engagement with the desired one of said notches. i In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STANISLAVV IWEACKIEVVIGZ.

Witnesses JULIUs HOFFIVIAN,

R. LEIGH FLEMING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

adapted to receive the upper one of said ment, the upper one of said bars being probar, horizontally positioned rollers j ournaled 

